


who needs a friend when ive got you

by kogaritsu



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Crushes, M/M, kabedon :flushed:, this is in their first year!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23216761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kogaritsu/pseuds/kogaritsu
Summary: “You can’t even pretend to want this, can you? Acting’s part of an idols job, you know, so I’d work on that if I were you.” The words betrayed howkindhe had seemed earlier, replacing soft tones with harsh venom that bled into Jun’s aching muscles.“I do want this! I want to be an idol!” Jun felt somewhat like an animal baring his teeth, but the implication that he was lazy or uncaring was like a blow to the face.“Then where’s your passion?” Tatsumi uncrossed his arms, looking down his nose with such contempt it was a wonder he’d seemed so nice earlier, “Show it to me.”
Relationships: Kazehaya Tatsumi/Sazanami Jun
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	who needs a friend when ive got you

**Author's Note:**

> hehehehheeh ;p

“You’ll trip if you don’t fix your posture.” Tatsumi’s reflection called out to Jun, who stopped dancing at once and, just as predicted, tripped over his own feet.

He didn’t make a sound, even when the polished floor of the practice room gnashed at the heels of his hands and the exposed skin of his ankles. It hurt (of course it hurt!), but Jun was prideful of his tolerance, plus there was always someone to impress. So by his bootstraps he pulled, only really managing to turn over into a sitting position and assess the damage. His palms were scraped, but barely a concern when there was quite a ways to go before he could even consider a break.

“What a spill!” Tatsumi was knelt beside him, offering both hands to help him up. It felt like some kind of sick joke.

“I’m fine.” Jun debated which would be ruder: rejecting the help or taking it. He decided, ultimately, that rejecting the kindness of someone with such influence would be a horrible look, and so hesitantly placed his hands atop Tatsumi’s. How quick Tatsumi was to pull him up, standing with the agility of someone that spent hours perfecting every movement, knocked the wind out of Jun, and thus made his balance weaker than it should have been. Without thinking, he clung, surprised to feel Tatsumi’s hands release his in favor of catching him by the elbows.

“You’re not lightheaded are you? I could surely bear your weight if you need the infirmary.” His words fell on deaf ears as Jun leaned into him to regain his balance. When he tried to get away, though, Tatsumi’s hands only slid down to hold his wrists and effectively keep him in place. From there he did his own inspection, cradling each of Jun’s hands like they were fragile and precious, though his grip was firm when challenged. Brow furrowed in concentration, he pored over every line and blemish his eyes could find, hmming as he investigated.

“Sazanami-kun?” He asked when he looked back up, “Are you sure you feel alright? You’re quite hot.” As if to prove his point, he reached to feel Jun’s forehead.

“I said I was fine.” Jun trekked back to the long mirror, scrutinizing his reflection and wracking his brain for where he was in his choreography, “Thank you for your help, but I really need to practice more.”

“Then practice.” Tatsumi shucked off his jacket, leaving it by the door, “But I think I’ll stick around a while longer if it’s alright with you.” 

Again, Jun found himself wondering what kind of prank he was caught in the middle of, but nodded regardless. Imagining the music he was dancing to was harder with someone else in the room, but idols didn’t feel embarrassment. His body moved with a beat only he was hearing, and even then, he managed to be off rhythm; shame welled in his chest and he tried _so hard_ to catch back up, but his brain was muddled with the sting of his palms and the ghost of Tatsumi’s fingers down his arms. He stopped to catch his breath, hands on his knees and tongue feeling like pure lead against his top teeth.

“May I?” Tatsumi was next to him again, “I think I know what’s tripping you up.”

Jun nodded again, because how could he turn down help from the best of the best, straightening to his full height and still feeling small. Tatsumi seemed not to mind, though, guiding him into a better footstance with one hand on his hip and the other on his stomach. Jun watched his own body move with Tatsumi’s in the mirror, noting the way Tatsumi nudged his feet into place carefully, as if it hurt him to do so. Once they got started, though, help was less necessary, and Jun was able to dance comfortably on his own in Tatsumi’s arms. Every kick he tried, Tatsumi urged him to kick higher, catching him when his body didn’t agree with the test of his flexibility. Every spin, Tatsumi guided him through faster, cleaner. It was like having a shadow with a mind of its own. 

As always, good things were meant to come to an end, and Tatsumi let Jun go after minutes that felt like holy intervention.

“Try again, using what I taught you.” He said, arms crossed across his chest and mouth curled into a sweet smile that was more distracting than the one he wore on stage.

Taking a deep breath, Jun went back through his choreography, trying to remember the way Tatsumi had guided him through every movement. It worked at first, until he got one step wrong and fell out of rhythm again. In a perfect world, he’d catch himself and get right back to it, no crying needed, but he was already beating himself up for making a mistake right after Tatsumi helped him. His disappointment made all other steps halfhearted, until he stopped entirely to catch his breath once more. Out of the corner of his eye, Tatsumi’s entire demeanor changed like something from a bad horror movie.

“You can’t even pretend to want this, can you? Acting’s part of an idols job, you know, so I’d work on that if I were you.” The words betrayed how _kind_ he had seemed earlier, replacing soft tones with harsh venom that bled into Jun’s aching muscles.

“I do want this! I want to be an idol!” Jun felt somewhat like an animal baring his teeth, but the implication that he was lazy or uncaring was like a blow to the face.

“Then where’s your passion?” Tatsumi uncrossed his arms, looking down his nose with such contempt it was a wonder he’d seemed so nice earlier, “Show it to me.”

A lot of things came to Jun’s mind, though most of it was useless in showing his passion, nor his ability to pretend. Well, one idea, that’d taken up housing in the back of his mind ever since he’d started to actually care about being an idol, was very appealing, especially with Tatsumi’s sudden change of attitude. Clearly, he wasn’t expecting any kind of response other than utter defeat, judging by the way his expression twisted some when Jun started approaching him. He even took a few steps back, happy to maintain their distance until his back hit the wall and left him with nowhere else to go. Jun kind of liked the stiffness of his posture.

“Sazanami-kun, are you seriously defaulting to violence? I suppose you really are nothing but a useless th-” His words hitched into a humiliating yelp when Jun used his weak ankles against him, sweeping both his feet out from under him and knocking him flat on his ass. Jun followed him down, kneeling between his splayed knees and, with a confidence he never knew lived inside him, slapped his left hand against the wall. Tatsumi visibly flinched, staring up with the eyes of a rabbit cornered by a leashed dog.

Admittedly, Jun didn’t think when he brought his right hand up to keep Tatsumi’s chin tilted upwards. He couldn't just stare, if he was going to show off how ready he was to be an idol, he was going to have to sell it like it was his last hope. That was the last rational thought he had, and calling it rational was being very nice, before he stooped the few centimeters it took to line his mouth up with Tatsumi’s. And there went his very first kiss ever, lost to someone he was already starting to resent more than anything. He couldn’t even just lay there like a dead fish waiting for it to be over, either. He just had to make it even worse.

Tatsumi’s hands gripped the dips of Jun’s waist, squeezing him in a way that felt oddly affectionate while simultaneously tilting his head for a nicer angle that didn’t make their teeth click together. Jun was panicking, scrambling for the upper hand in a situation where he was obviously far outgunned. His solution, one of desperation, was to pry Tatsumi’s left hand off his waist to interlock their fingers against the wall. Tatsumi’s free hand trailed up Jun’s ribs, then to the back of his neck, yanking him close enough to suck on his lower lip. Said yank was just way too much for Jun’s brain, though, and he slouched to hook his left arm around Tatsumi’s neck, surrendering to him if only to feel less out of control.

With Jun’s surrender, Tatsumi shoved forward, laying Jun out flat on his back, wincing at the bump of his head on the floor. Unconsciously, he mumbled an apology even as he pinned Jun’s right hand to the floor as mercilessly as he had the rest of him. While Jun had, obviously, lost, he was in no way giving up, burying his fingers in the soft hair on the back of Tatsumi’s head, tugging gently when he needed to breathe. To his half-surprise, Tatsumi pulled back to breathe too, gasping for air like a fish out of water. His eyes were orchid half moons when Jun dared to peek at him, eyelashes criss crossed like mint spiderwebs obscuring his vision. He didn’t look for long, smothering the flames of yearning in the solace of Tatsumi’s mouth.

Even when the pressure relented, Jun didn’t push back against Tatsumi’s hand, simply allowing his right hand to remain out of commission. His left hand traced down the back of Tatsumi’s tee shirt, feeling the bumps of his spine and curve of his ribs on its way down to rest on his side. Now that he wasn’t internally panicking, he took more mental notes, appreciating the way that Tatsumi’s tongue tasted vaguely like gum, faint enough for Jun to want more but strong enough to be recognizable. It almost felt intentional, if not for the significant tremble to Tatsumi’s finger’s where they were linked with Jun’s. His pulse hammered like a jackrabbit’s, so noticeable Jun could practically hear it in the quiet room. 

Good things had to end, which is why Jun snaked a hand between them to gently push Tatsumi away. His lips were kiss-swollen, as pretty pink as the flush crawling up his face, when they wrapped around the word ‘what’, until he came back to himself, quickly rolling off of Jun before anyone could see them in such an inappropriate position. Clearly he was scolding himself silently, eyes trained on the floor between his knees. Jun wasn’t about to let him off so easy, though, he’d worked hard and expected an answer.

“How was that for passion, Kazehaya-senpai?” He asked, shifting to sit comfortably beside him.

“That,” Tatsumi licked his lips, voice caught on a giggle, “Was excellent work. Though not at all what I expected from you. It seems you perform very well under pressure, _Jun-kun_.” 

It’d be a boldfaced lie to say that Jun wasn’t immensely comforted by the praise, as would be to say that he wasn’t deeply relieved that the Tatsumi that’d danced with him in the mirror was real after all. His smile cracked at the corners of his swollen lips, tugging at his heartstrings too.

**Author's Note:**

> please like comment and subscribe i need strength at work tonight


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